• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, Yesterday

Image above: Value-seeking consumers are cooking more at home.

New research from Deloitte reveals that value-seeking behavior is up 10% in the last six months, cutting across generations, income levels, and product categories.

While many people feel their ability to make discretionary purchases is shrinking, marketers may be surprised at the many ways that shows up: more cooking at home, less grocery delivery, and shifting brand perceptions. Deloitte’s Value-seeking Behavior Index rose 10% from September 2024 to April 2025, including a 5% jump from March to April.

About 40% of shoppers fall into this value-focused group, exhibiting at least three cost-conscious, deal-driven, or convenience-sacrificing traits. Two-thirds are cooking more meals at home, over half are buying cheaper ingredients, and nearly 60% are switching to store brands — about 10 times the rate of non-value seekers. When dining out, 40% choose restaurants offering deals. Many look for budget lodging or flights, and half wait for a promotion before booking. Car buyers in this group are more than twice as likely to choose used vehicles compared to others.

About four in 10 are from lower-income, middle-aged households, but nearly a quarter earning $200,000 or more are value seekers, too. These higher earners plan discretionary spending cuts of 50% to 60%, driven by concerns about the economy, retirement security, and housing costs. Value-focused habits span generations: 49% of Gen X, 43% of Boomers, 40% of millennials, and 44% of Gen Z are engaged in them.

But value means far more than price. “Value-seeking consumers want to buy from brands they think are ‘worth it,’” says Mike Daher, vice chair at Deloitte. “Price will always play a role — it accounts for 60% to 90% of how people define value. But brands with stronger value narratives are outpacing their competitors among value-seeking consumers, even at slightly higher price points.”

How people define “more value for price,” or MVP brands, varies by category. “The universal components we found are quality, attitude, and trust,” Daher tells Marketing Daily, via email. “Those have to be backed up in reality, but a brand might highlight how its clothing lasts longer, how friendly its staff is, or how it’s been part of the community for years to tap into those value drivers.”

Deloitte’s study also analyzed brand performance, finding that brands perceived as providing extra value have higher purchase intent and are gaining household share. In grocery alone, that could represent a $1.3 billion annual opportunity per company.

Value drivers differ by sector: quality and attitude lead in grocery, hotels, and restaurants; reliability in autos; delivery speed in apparel.

Deloitte’s research draws on surveys of 9,000 U.S. consumers, analysis of 900,000 data points across 290 brands, 5 million credit card records, and company earnings transcripts.